Review

I could sit here right now and detail to you the dynamics and intricacies of Rock or Bust that truly don't exist. I could describe how Malcolm Young's deteriorating mental health and Phill Rudd's legal troubles have influenced Angus Young's songwriting process. I could construct a whole epic narrative of said songwriting process and its results until you scream bloody hyperbole. But I won't, because literally, I can't. Rock or Bust sounds exactly like every other AC/DC album released up until this point, and it's just as good/bad as those albums were. That's true of all the regular calling cards; gratuitous references to the word 'rock', distorted blues riffs and screeched double entendres. Just watch that "Play Ball" video, and try to tell me it isn't the exact same fucking one they've made eight-thousand times before. Point is, AC/DC succeeded with High Voltage and decided not to fix what wasn't broken. That's why they never feathered their hair in the '80s or wore plaid flannels in the '90s; frankly, I'd be worried if Flo Rida decided to stop by and drop some lines for the sake of relevance or popularity. No doubt it's that fear of change that makes AC/DC so reliable. This is AC/DC and this is their 15th studio album. You've already heard it before, so make up your mind accordingly.